Enough
by LexusGrey
Summary: A little out of character for Adelle, but I wrote this awhile ago and I'll still share it. Warnings: Claire with a whip ;


Adelle gasped and pulled on her bonds as the singletail sliced across her shoulder blade, biting into her flesh just lightly enough to avoid drawing blood. "Fuck!" The word slipped past her lips before she could silence herself, the stinging punishment leaving her lacking in self control.

"Stay quiet," Claire admonished, delivering a symmetrical blow to the left side.

Adelle gasped again, struggling, shooting a glare over her shoulder at Claire. "You try it!" she snapped.

Claire set down the whip and gave Adelle a disapproving stare, her arms folded across her chest, for a few seconds before she sighed and moved to untie Ms. DeWitt without a word.

Adelle's eyes went wide and she tried to pull the bindings out of Claire's reach. "Wait," she said softly, her eyes downcast.

Claire waited.

"I'm sorry."

Claire kept waiting.

"I'll stay quiet."

Claire still waited, one eyebrow slightly raised.

Adelle took a slow breath and dropped her head. She hated it when Claire made her say please. "Punish me, please," she finally said, defeated. She shouldn't have run her mouth in the first place, and then she wouldn't be in this position.

Claire nodded and retrieved the whip, shifting it to her left hand to allow her to curl her right tightly in Adelle's dark hair. "If you say another word without being asked, we're finished for tonight and I will leave. All I want to hear from you are groans and whimpers. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Mama," Adelle whispered. The threat of Claire leaving was enough to keep her in line.

"Good girl," Claire purred, releasing Adelle's hair and stroking her fingers through it. She stepped back and switched the whip to her striking hand again, readying herself before flicking the tail over her captive's naked backside. She wasn't afraid to break the skin there, to remind Ms. DeWitt who was in charge each time she sat down for the next several days they'd be apart.

Adelle cried out, digging her fingernails into her palms, tossing her head back, biting her tongue to keep words from escaping. She wanted to be in Claire's arms now, but she knew she'd earned a punishment, without a doubt. The whole thing had started when Claire had announced she would be attending a conference in Chicago.

"No you won't... you're not going anywhere," Adelle said.

"I beg your pardon?" Claire asked calmly, though the fire in her eyes should have been a warning.

"You're staying right fucking here, I won't authorize the leave."

"Don't bring our personal lives into this, Adelle," Claire said with a hint of irritation creeping into her voice.

"This has nothing to do with our personal lives," Adelle scoffed. "I won't lose a doctor for three days."

"No, you won't. Dr. Taylor has agreed to fill in."

"All right, it is personal," Adelle admitted then, with nothing else to hide behind.

"If it's personal, you should know better than to talk to me like that," Claire said quietly, taking a step toward her lover. "I am leaving tomorrow morning, and I'll be back on Monday night."

Since she had grown close to Claire, Adelle had been undeniably needy, and she fought back tears with a growl. "Fuck you," she spat, turning to leave the office, knowing it would set Claire off but helpless to stop herself. And it did indeed set Claire off. She felt a hand wrapped in her hair, jerking her away from the door, forcing her to her knees.

"You're the one who's not going anywhere," Claire said darkly, slapping her face. "And now I'll have to punish you tonight instead of spending the evening in bed with you."

And here they were, Adelle being punished and regretting her behavior tenfold.

The whip bit into her ass and thighs several more times, leaving her raw and breathless, hanging limply in her bonds, tears streaming down her cheeks and an apology dying on her lips. Claire hadn't asked her to speak.

"Do you have anything to say?" Claire asked as she once more set the whip down and stood behind her lover.

"I'm sorry, Mama," Adelle whispered through her tears, needing to be held now more than ever.

"Will you ever say those words to me again?" Claire asked, a twinge in her chest as she replayed the scene in her mind, slightly hurt all over again at remembering those two harsh words, 'fuck you', directed at her from someone she loved.

"No, Mama, never," Adelle breathed, shaking her head.

"You'll be my good girl?" Claire asked, moving closer to press her body against Adelle's, reaching up to untie her wrists from the frame. As soon as she'd done that, Adelle slumped into her, and she allowed it, holding her lover close.

"Yes, Mama," Adelle promised, shaking lightly with the searing pain in her backside and thighs. She welcomed the pain, though, if it meant being in Claire's good graces again. She wasn't quite sure when she had become so needy... she only remembered being unbearably lonely until she'd formed a friendship with Claire, which had slowly grown into something deeper. Something she cherished above all else and was terrified of losing. "Do you forgive me?" she asked, holding her breath.

"Of course I do," Claire said softly, leading Adelle to the sofa and sitting down with her lover in her lap. "Just don't ever say that to me again."

"I won't."

They were both silent for several long moments, and then Adelle spoke up.

"May I tell you something?"

"You may."

"I'm afraid you won't come back from Chicago."

"What? Why?"

"You may find someone beautiful, who would require less maintenance than myself." Her voice was so quiet she could barely hear it herself.

Claire shook her head and gave Adelle a squeeze. "If I didn't have so much maintenance to perform, I'd be indescribably bored," she said affectionately. "I'll be thinking of you the entire time I'm in Chicago." She caught Adelle's eye and grinned. "And you'll be thinking of me every time you sit."

"Not just," Adelle confessed, enjoying the humor briefly before she sighed. "Do you really have to go, Mama?"

"Yes, but I'll be back in three days, and I'll be an even better doctor."

Adelle resigned herself to the idea and nodded, sighing again. "I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, but I'll call you as often as I can, and I'll expect reports on this beautiful ass of yours each time I do," Claire said with a soft smile, sliding one hand down to stroke her fingertips over the welts on Adelle's backside.

Adelle still didn't want Claire to go, but she was somewhat comforted in the knowledge that they'd talk often, and that she'd bear her lover's marks until she returned. And while she was afraid of losing Claire, she trusted that the doctor would return, if not for her then at least for the actives. Dr. Saunders never shirked responsibility, so if she wasn't enough, then duty would be.

Claire placed a kiss to Adelle's forehead, wishing she wouldn't worry so much. And she wouldn't say it, but the three days apart was going to be just as hard for her as for her lover. The actives needed her, yes, but what bound her to Los Angeles was Adelle. Duty was secondary; Adelle was enough.


End file.
